The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-18
GROWTH OF TIE SOUTH.
A New Workers. Imprs ssfons o.,
Leading Southern Ctties,
New York Times.

NeW Iofk limes.
A New York man, who stands high
in financial circles, Is just back from
4 trip through the industrial sections
Of the South. He is one Of an army
OF New Workers who have backed up
their faith in the new South" by in.
vesting largely in lands there and in
iron furnaces and shops. His trip was
prompted largely by dismal reports
that we're distributed here as 10 set
backs suffered by the striving South.
ern enterprises; he wanted to see
personally just how much truth there
was in in the circulating tales that
had scared Q good many others who,
like himself, had vested interests in
Dixie.
II was told" he said yesterday,
shat such . state OF dullness had
svertsken everything in the South
thall all strides forward had been
more than offset. Money invested
in Southern projects, IL was insisted,
was just 30 much sunk-lost alto.
gether. And | went down into
Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama ex-
peoting TO find pretty much every
thing at standstill, and the people
generally deep in the dumps. |
didn't find any such condition.
There s no backward tendency any
where. No people we're ever more
hopeful. Everybody is confident Of
the future and with no fault TO fad
OF the present.
1T has been my custom for years,
he went on, ITO make trip South at
least semi-annually. Never before
have / seen such widespread tokens
OF prosperity rs are noticeable now
in every community. II all the
Souths progress and commercial
life, however, were held 10 be cen
tered in the sale of corner lots there
perhaps the South has rotrogaded
somewhat. There is less to DO seen
OF the obtrusivo real estate agent
than hitherto. But IL is queer
sort OF business man, take II, who
can discover In this fact any symptom
OF weakness. Booming isn't what |
the South has wanted most boomers
arc not what the South's best friends |
have wanted 10 invest her with.
What those friends have sought for
her she maintains. New factories
are opening, new capital Is invested,
immigrants Of the best character
have como TO the towns where bust.
ness Is. Croakers who are talking
down the South take big chances on
public credulity.
MY trip took me, among ether
places, 10 Knoxville, Chattanooga,
Rome, Atlanta, Montgomery, Annis.
ton. Birmingham aud Decatur. Ia
the Tennessee cities, instead Of a halt
In industrial and commercial prog.
Iess, there's = marked advancement.
Right through midsummer the in.
yesting OF capital In new enterprises
has gone on, not only without inter.
ruption, but al q marvellous race. At
Admission some fresh enterprise Of
consequence has marked tho advent
Of each successive week BirminR.
ham has lost much Of the wild
hullabaloo Of her real estate agency
period, but for cash corner lot
boomer lost two strong conservative
business men have been substituted.
Montgomery has gwen up not one
whit Of her alertness. Decatur
maintains all the vim and 10. ahead,
atiycness that Mai Gordon aud
Judge Bond baptized her with,
Dissatisfaction, disappointment, hes
itation or doubt a. 10 the future car
be found nowhere.
THE Southern people are on the
eve now Of collecting pay for the big
gost cotton crop that they have ever
raised. There are fewer debts in th,
South today than At any time sine,
the war. There IL more popular
confidence than has been known.
tell you the people are going 10 hay,
fatter purses this fall than Dixi,
ever hitherto has dreamed Of. In
stead OF backward steps tho new
South il just taking on the full
strength OF It's development. Ant
this money, made In the South, II
going 10 be spent in the South
There u coming a boom (ii tha
word be taken In It's broadcast sense
which IL going to be immcAsurabl!
greater aud mightier than any anS
all that have preceded It.
These assertions from this New
Yorker are in precisely the same
spirit Of statements made by promi
nent Southcrners who are now North
All agree that the new South has al
its vitality, push aud enterprise vel
In hand, unimpaired aud ready for
bigger boom than ever a. socn A. th
cotton crop begins 10 make cash re-
turns.
One gentleman who has give
much thoughtful attention 20 recen
Southern progfcss-he IA a membc
Of the New York Stock Exchang
and an investor In various SouthCr
enterprisos-makes a statement q
general public interest by sAyin
that one o. the chief oprorlunitic
In the South now Il Tor the mechAu
IT, lie doesn't mean only for Oh
worker Ia iron and the like, that III
iron furnaces aud ioundries mu,
employ, but the artisan Ia ever
branch. Ia towns like Admission an
Decatur, 10 Alabama, A. In Chatta
nOoea, Birmingham aud olsovhor,
there Is a daily increasing deman
for the skilled mechanic. Catpct
tiers, bricklaycrs, plasierors and th
like can command a. good wages !
these prosperous Southern places :
they are able TO obtain 10 New Yofl
while the cost Of good living Is n,
much more than halt a. costly.
all Of the Industrial towns OF u
South houses are rented far fast
than they can be built.